Honduras: Anti-mining activist Juan Lopez shot dead

An anti-mining environmental activist in Honduras who protested to preserve tropical forests and rivers was killed over the weekend, even after warnings to better ensure his safety.

Juan Lopez, 46, was gunned down as he left church Saturday in the northeastern town of Tocoa, police said on Sunday.

Honduran President Xiomara Castro condmened the apparent murder of Lopez, a member of the Libre party she's allied to, in comments online.

"We condemn the vile murder of our comrade and environmental leader Juan Lopez in Tocoa, Colon," she said. "I have ordered that all the capabilities of law enforcement be used to clarify this tragedy and identify those responsible."

Multiple members of Lopez's enviromental organization killed

Lopez belonged to the Municipal Committee for the Defense of Common and Public Goods, an environmental organization in Tocoa on the country's Atlantic coast.

Three other members of the group were killed last year in what the organization saw as retaliation. 

The group had suffered threats and harassment for years amid efforts to preserve the Guapinol and San Pedro rivers, and the Carlos Escaleras nature reserve, as the presence of mining and hydro-electric companies increased. 

Honduran Attorney General Johel Zelaya said the "reprehensible" murder would not go unpunished, and paid tribute to Lopez's activism.

"His life was an example of struggle. He never gave up in his incessant battle, hand-in-hand with the people to preserve natural resources," Zelaya said on X.

Lopez aware of risks of his activism

An outspoken member of the ruling Libre party, Lopez had recently publicly called for the resignation of Libre officials caught on video negotiating bribes with drug traffickers in 2013. 

Carlos Zelaya, a brother-in-law of president Castro, was caught up in that video. He resigned his seat in congress after admitting he took part in that meeting with drug gangsters.

"If you leave home, you always have in mind that you do not know what might happen, if you are going to return," Lopez had said in 2021 when speaking of his activism with AFP.

Lopez had also raised the alarm himself earlier in the year, saying he had noticed two people on motorbikes observing him in locations around his home.

Activist deaths high in Latin America

Global Witness, a British NGO, says Honduras is one of the world's most dangerous countries for environmental activists.

Latin America accounted for 85% of all the world's environmentalists who were killed last year, with 18 deaths registered in Honduras, according to Global Witness.

The United Nations resident coordinator in Honduras, Alice Shackelford, said Lopez had been threatened for his activism and praised his determination to stand up to powerful interests.

"We condemn the terrible murder of Juan Lopez, a human rights defender threatened for his work," she said in a post.

km/msh (AFP, Reuters)